SIMON & GARFUNKEL
United Center / Chicago, IL
October 25, 2003

Concert Review By:  Bill Paige


    

     "Old Friends" the name of the tour, their relationship, the crowd, and the opening song.

     The evening started with a video montage of socially relevant news events over the years and pictures of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel through their forty plus years of performing together and solo work.  The duo appeared as the lights came on and performed "Old Friends."  Their seven piece band joined in on the second song for a rockin' version of "A Hazy Shade Of Winter."

      The band provided a tight grove for the two as Simon and Garfunkel seemed to get vocally stronger as the show progressed.  Their voices do not get as high as they did earlier in their career, but the slight adjustment to the arrangement of the songs made the songs hold up strong and added a little spice.
 
 
     The crowd, a good part who were quite mature themselves, appeared to be at an intimate setting rather than a packed arena.  The songs and dialogue put everyone at ease.  Four numbers in and the place was swaying to the tale of " America" as if each person was separately on the journey in that song.

     About one-third of the way into the show, Garfunkel talked about some of their musical influences and called out The Everly Brothers who performed " Wake Up Little Susie," "Dream," and "Let It Be Me."  Simon and Garfunkel then
came on and sang "Bye Bye Love" along with Don and Phil Everly.  This musical interlude was well received by the crowd.
 
    Simon and Garfunkel went into high gear as they continued the show from that point with a charge of "Scarborough Fair," "Homeward Bound," "The Sound Of Silence," and "Mrs. Robinson," which was preceded by another video showing
clips of the movie "The Graduate" and additional photos of the duo.
 
    Paul Simon mentioned to the crowd that in the early stages of his solo career he wrote a lot of songs with Simon and Garfunkel in mind as the band went into "Slip Sliding Away" which worked quite well with Garfunkel's harmonies. 
"Paul writes good songs," said Garfunkel, a statement that is somewhat obvious but was genuinely stated.  He also brought up the fifty-year friendship that they have had since grade school.  "With a few interruptions" he added with a chuckle.  Hinting to their on and off again relationship over the past thirty years.  Simon chimed in with a remark about a "little arguing."

     Garfunkel did most of the talking between songs.  Simon began to speak a little more as the show progressed.  He also became more animated as the night went on becoming comical on occasion.

     The duo ended the main part of their show with "My Little Town" and " Bridge Over Troubled Water."  The first encore included "Cecilia" and "The Boxer ."  They then stepped away and quickly returned to do "Song For The Asking" and
finally "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)."

     The fans of the two exited "feelin' groovy" after two hours of songs that have been the wallpaper in the rooms of their lives.  The smiles on their faces seemed to be contagious.

      And it appeared that Simon and Garfunkel might just be "Old Friends" again.  At least that is what they portrayed on stage.


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